Warwick, Friends Move Up As 'Say You' Clings To No. 1

December 29, 1985|By Jan DeKnock, Chicago Tribune

This week finds Lionel Richie in command for the final singles' rankings of 1985, because his big movie hit ''Say You, Say Me'' (from White Nights) is again No. 1 on the pop list, and has moved up to No. 2 on the black/urban chart.

Richie's repeat victory on the pop chart kept Eddie Murphy from scoring his first-ever No. 1 with ''Party All the Time'' (which moved from No. 3 to No. 2), and prevented Simple Minds from notching their second No. 1 of the year with ''Alive and Kicking'' (which edged up from No. 4 to No. 3).

Neither of those songs has much of a chance of grabbing the first No. 1 title of 1986. That's because there are two strong challengers moving up rapidly in the Top 20: the AIDS benefit song ''That's What Friends Are For,'' by Dionne Warwick and Friends, which jumped from No. 8 to No. 4, and Bruce Springsteen's ''My Hometown,'' which leaped a phenomenal 16 spots and is already No. 16 after just four weeks.

The past year saw a succession of 27 singles in the top spot on the pop chart, with just two songs able to rule for more than three weeks. Those were USA for Africa's benefit single ''We Are the World,'' which stayed at No. 1 for four weeks, and Madonna's ''Like a Virgin,'' which dominated the chart for six straight weeks, including the first four lists of 1985.

The majority of No. 1 songs this year held their titles for two weeks. The 11 singles in this category were ''I Want to Know What Love Is,'' Foreigner; ''One More Night,'' Phil Collins; ''Everything She Wants,'' Wham!; ''Everybody Wants to Rule the World,'' Tears for Fears; ''Heaven,'' Bryan Adams; ''A View to a Kill,'' Duran Duran; ''The Power of Love,'' Huey Lewis and the News; ''St. Elmo's Fire,'' John Parr; ''We Built This City,'' Starship; ''Broken Wings,'' Mr. Mister; and ''Say You, Say Me,'' Lionel Richie.

On the album chart, the soundtrack from the TV series Miami Vice moved back into the top spot this week, dropping last week's No. 1, Heart by Heart, into No. 2. But the one-week rule by Heart was enough to spoil Miami Vice's chance of achieving a tie for the title of longest-running No. 1 album among the 14 LPs that hit the top in 1985.

That distinction now belongs solely to Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms, which ruled the LP list for nine weeks. Runners-up were Miami Vice, eight weeks; Phil Collins' No Jacket Required, seven weeks; and Tears for Fears' Songs from the Big Chair, five weeks.

Five albums held No. 1 for three weeks: We Are the World, USA for Africa; Born in the U.S.A., Bruce Springsteen; Like a Virgin, Madonna; Make It Big, Wham!; and Around the World in a Day, Prince & the Revolution.

Two-week No. 1s were Prince's Purple Rain (which added a few weeks in '85 onto its phenomenal '84 run); the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack; and Bryan Adams' Reckless. Just two LPs stayed at No. 1 for only one week, and both were surprise comebacks: John Fogerty's Centerfield and Heart's Heart.